A production crew member on the BBC crime hit This City Is Ours has fallen victim to real-life criminal activity after thieves broke into their Marbella flat during filming in Spain.
The burglary occurred in October while the show was shooting its second series.
An insider confirmed the break-in, stressing that none of the BBC drama’s materials or technical kit were taken in the raid.
However, intruders stole a crew member’s personal belongings.
Sources say the incident unsettled members of the team, who called out the ‘irony’ of the robbery
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BBC/Left Bank Pictures/James Stack
The incident unsettled members of the team, who found themselves living through an echo of the fictional criminal world they depict on screen.
Despite the episode, production has continued as normal.
A source told the Mail: “It was certainly the talk of the town.
“It was a shock that as filming for a major crime show was underway, someone working on it also became a victim of crime. The irony was not lost on anyone.”
A Liverpool street was turned into a film set for BBC’s hit gangster show This City Is Ours — the year’s most-watched new drama.
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@LpoolCityRegion / X
The upcoming second series, written by creator Stephen Butchard, picks up directly after the events of the first season, according to a BBC spokesperson.
This City Is Ours has become one of the broadcaster’s biggest breakout successes, emerging as the BBC’s most-watched new drama debut of 2025 with an average audience of 5.8 million viewers.
Premiering in March on BBC One and iPlayer, the series has attracted comparisons to The Sopranos, earning the nickname “the Scouse Sopranos”.
The Liverpool-set drama follows the internal rivalries of a cocaine trafficking network.
This City Is Ours has become one of the broadcaster’s biggest breakout successes, emerging as the BBC’s most-watched new drama debut of 2025
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BBC
James Nelson-Joyce stars as Michael Kavanagh, a gang member juggling criminal responsibilities with personal pressures, including fertility struggles with his partner Diana Williams, played by Hannah Onslow.
Sean Bean features as criminal boss Ronnie Phelan.
The show balances its brutal crime narrative with unexpected comedic touches.
One standout moment saw Bean’s character leading a convoy of golf buggies to Wagner’s Ride of the Valkyries, a playful nod to Apocalypse Now.
Fans of the show were delighted by the confirmation of a new series.
“Best thing on TV this year. Loved it,” one viewer wrote on the show’s official Instagram page, while another added: “Absolutely going to watch the second series!! Phenomenal first series.”
A third fan commented: “Loved it. Here’s to the next series!”, with a fourth saying: “I am so excited — I can’t wait to watch.”
Another fan-favourite scene, a cast-wide line dance to 1950s hit The House of Bamboo, went viral online.
BBC This City is Ours cast on set
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BBC
Both Nelson-Joyce and Onslow will return for the second series, with the BBC crediting the blend of gritty drama and eccentric humour for the show’s cross-demographic appeal.
However, its success comes at a time when British viewers appear increasingly fatigued by graphic crime content.
New research shows 60 per cent of audiences believe modern crime dramas are too violent, with 43 per cent saying television overall now contains excessive graphic material.
More than a third (37 per cent) say violence and true-crime programmes actively put them off watching.
A similar number (43 per cent) now prefer crime dramas where violence is implied rather than shown on screen.
Classic lighter shows such as Murder, She Wrote and Diagnosis Murder are experiencing a resurgence, with viewers citing their family-friendly tone and universal appeal in contrast to today’s darker offerings.